Clint Eastwood's latest film, J. Edgar, is in theaters this weekend, and to be honest it's kinda getting battered from pillar to post. My review will be up shortly, but in general I found it to be one of his weakest efforts. It's been awhile since Eastwood made a truly great film, so maybe it's a good thing his remake of A Star is Born has been pushed back. In the meantime, Eastwood is planning to step back in front of the camera for Trouble with the Curve, marking the directorial debut of his longtime buddy, Robert Lorenz. Sandra Bullock was set to co-star with him, in a pairing that would make any studio execs mouth water. Unfortunately it's not going to happen, as Bullock has backed out to pursue other projects.
The story seems tailor made for grizzled old vet like Eastwood, playing an aging baseball scout who is slowly going blind, on one last scouting trip accompanied by his daughter. I'm guessing they'll hash out old family problems along the way, leading to some grand reconciliation at the end. With Bullock out of the picture for the daughter role, producers are said to now be looking at Amy Adams and Reese Witherspoon. It doesn't sound as if offers have been made, and this may just be a wishlist thing. I've got both of them on my wishlist, too, if you know what I mean.
The script must be pretty meaty if Bullock showed so much interest in it, so don't be surprised if another of her caliber comes aboard. If I had to pick, I'd prefer to see Witherspoon win out mainly because she's gone so long without a real hit. She could use some Oscar buzz again, and this seems like just the right film to get it. [Twitch]